Brush for use in cleaning test-tubes, bottles, or the like



APPLICATION FILED SEPT-25.1919- Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

' fnva-ntor Z0? tnes 565 UNITED STATES PATENT ornroni JAMES THOMAS EDWARDS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BRUSH FOR USE IN CLEANING TEST-TUBES, BOTTLES, OR THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

Application filed September 25, 1919. Serial No. 326,375.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES THOMAS ED- wARDs, a subject of the King of Great Brit-- clean same with the cooperation of a washing liquid introduced through the hollow core; and the outstanding feature of my invention consists in arranging the bristles (in which expression I include wire or other imitation bristles) so that they project from the core tangentially to a circle concentric with the axis of rotation of the brush, instead of projecting radially as usual heretofore. A further feature consists in the provision of a cushioning device on the end of the said core.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a brush having bristles which project tangentially at opposite sides of a hollow core, and on the end of which core a cushioning device is fitted;

Fig. 2 shows on a larger scale a transverse section of the said brush; and

Fig. 3 shows, also on a larger scale, details hereinafter described.

The brush illustrated in Fig. 1 has a ho]- low core A made of two similar troughshaped or semi-tubular parts a, a made of sheet metal, shown separately in Fig. 3, each of which parts'has one longitudinal margin bent back outward to form a channel or groove a Bristles B, of a length sufl'lcient to project the required distance from the core after they have been folded on themselves and mounted on the core, are arranged side by side and folded upon themselves over a length of fine wire I) so that the two limbs of each folded bristle project at right angles to the said wire, and this wire with the bristles folded thereon is placed in the aforesaid channel 04 The lip of the channel is then pressed down to clamp the wire and the bristles securely in positi-on in the groove, and the two parts a, a are brought together, face to face-so that the two rows of bristles project at opposite sidesand secured to each other by soldering together their contacting edges to form the hollow core as shown" in Fig. 2. It will be obvious that this construction may be varied in many ways.

In order to obviate the risk of breaking a fragile test tube if it were pressed against the rotating metal core of the brush, I provide the end of the said core with a cushioning device adapted to act as a brush on the bottom of the tube. A piece of sponge or the like secured by a fine wire on the end of the core would serve the purpose but it would wear out quickly, and I have accordingly devised the more durable cushioning device shown in Fig. 1 consisting of a rubher or like button C. which may be formed with a number of small peripheral projections and is carried on the brush core by means of spring arms d embedded in the button and engaged in holes or slots in the core. The button is held yieldingly up to the end of the said core, a cavity bemg formed centrally in the button to receive a small coil spring 6 between which and the end of the core a washer f is interposed.

What I claim as my invention and desire clamped together with the said wire in the said channels with the two ends of each bristle projecting therefrom, the said trough shaped members being secured to each other face to face so that the two rows of bristles project at opposite sides and tangentially to the said core.

JAMES THOMAS EDWARDS. 

